This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent No. JP 2001-174747, filed Jun. 8, 2001.
The present invention relates to a removable clamp for a wire harness which is wired on a vehicle body. The clamp may be mounted directly on the wire harness or may be mounted on a corrugated tube which is installed on the wire harness.
A corrugated tube is used to protect the wire harness from contact with other objects. The corrugated tube is mounted on the wire harness which is fixed to the body of a vehicle. A clamp is used to fix the corrugated tube and the wire harness to the vehicle body.
A clamp according to the conventional art is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The clamp 1 includes a first half-annular part 2 and a second half-annular part 3. One end of the second half-annular part 3 is connected to one end of the first half-annular part 2 by a hinge 1A. The first half-annular part 2 has a locking piece 2a. Locking piece 2a has a locking claw 2b which projects in a width wise direction from both sides of the open end of the first half-annular part 2. The first half-annular part 2 also has a locking bracket through-hole 2c. The locking bracket through hole 2c is positioned at the center of the open end of the first half-annular part 2.
A box-shaped frame 3a is located at the open end of the second half-annular part 3. The frame 3a accommodates the locking piece 2a and a locking bracket B which is disposed on a vehicle body. A locking portion 3b is formed on both side walls of the frame 3a. Convexities 2d and 3d are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the first half-annular part 2 and the second half-annular part 3, respectively. Convexities 2d and 3d engage a valley Ka of a corrugated tube K. The locking claw 2b and the locking portion 3b are locked to each other when the clamp 1 is fitted on the corrugated tube K.
A locking piece 3e is formed on the interior surface of frame 3a. Locking piece 3c engages the locking bracket B which is disposed on the vehicle body. A locking claw 3f is formed on the locking piece 3e. To install the clamp 1 on the vehicle body, locking claw 3f is inserted into a locking hole Ba of the locking bracket B.
An opening 3c is also formed on the frame 3a. The locking claw 3f can be disengaged from the locking hole Ba of the locking bracket B by pulling the locking piece 3e with a finger inserted through the opening 3c of the frame 3a. 
The above-described conventional clamp 1 can be removed from the locking bracket of the vehicle body as described above. However, once the locking claw 2b of the first half-annular part 2 is locked to the locking portion 3b of the second half-annular part 3, they cannot be unlocked from each other. As a result, the clamp 1 cannot be removed from the corrugated tube K.
Often times it is necessary to remove the clamp 1 from the corrugated tube K. For example, removal of the clamp 1 may be necessary when the clamp 1 has been mounted at an erroneous position of the corrugated tube K or when the clamp 1 has been dislocated from the locking bracket B. However, because the locking claw 2b and the locking portion 3b cannot be unlocked from each other, the clamp 1 must be destroyed in order to remove it from the corrugated tube K.
The above-described problem may occur when the clamp 1 is fixed to the vehicle body through the corrugated tube mounted on a wire harness. In addition, the problem may occur when the clamp is mounted directly on the wire harness and the locking portion of the clamp 1 is locked to the locking bracket of the vehicle body.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clamp with unlocking parts which is removable directly from a wire harness or from a corrugated tube which is mounted on the wire harness.
To achieve the object, the present invention provides a clamp for a wire harness having a first half part and a second half part. The second half part is connected to the first half part by a hinge. The clamp can be mounted on a vehicle body by engaging a locking bracket which projects from the vehicle body. The locking bracket is inserted into a through-hole which is formed at the open end of the first half part of the clamp. A flexible locking piece projects from the open end of the first half part, opposite the through-hole. A first locking claw projects from the upper end of an inner surface of the locking piece and locks into the locking bracket. A second locking claw projects from the lower end of an outer surface of the locking piece and locks into the second half part. The locking piece and the locking bracket are inserted into a box-shaped frame which is formed at the open end of the second half part. A locking portion is formed on the outer side wall of the frame. The second locking claw locks into this locking portion. An opening is formed on an outer side wall of the frame which exposes the inserted locking piece. The width of the opening is larger than that of the locking piece.
The lower surface of the first locking claw of the locking piece is an inclined surface. The upper surface of the second locking claw of the locking piece is also an inclined surface. An upper-end engaging surface of the first locking claw is a flat surface. Likewise, a lower-end engaging surface of the second locking claw is a flat surface. An acute angle is formed between the flat surface and the inclined surface of each locking claw.
The inclined surface of the first locking claw allows the first locking claw to be easily locked to the locking bracket. At the same time, the inclined surface of the first locking claw prevents the first locking claw from being easily unlocked from the locking bracket. Likewise, the inclined surface of the second locking claw allows the claw to be easily locked to the second half part and prevents the parts from being easily unlocked.
To fix the clamp to the locking bracket of the vehicle body, the locking bracket is inserted into the through-hole of the first half part. The frame of the second half part communicates with the through-hole as a result of the first half part and the second half part being locked together. The first locking claw formed at the upper side of the locking piece is then inserted and locked into the locking hole of the locking bracket.
In this state, the locking piece is incapable of inclining inward, namely, toward the locking bracket. Thus even though a pressing force is applied to the locking piece, the locking piece does not incline and the second locking claw does not disengage from the locking portion. As a result, the first half part and the second half part of the clamp are not unlocked from each other.
To unlock the first half part and the second half part from each other, the exposed locking piece is first pulled to unlock the locking bracket from the first locking claw. The locking piece can then be pressed to unlock the second locking claw from the locking portion. As such, the clamp can be removed from the wire harness. Because the clamp can be removed from the wire harness as described above, it is unnecessary to destroy the clamp when the clamp""s mounted position on the wire harness needs to be changed.
When the locking bracket disposed on the vehicle body has not been inserted into the clamp, the first locking claw of the locking piece has not been locked to the locking bracket. Therefore by pressing the locking piece, the second locking claw can be inclined in the direction in which it disengages from the locking portion.
Similarly to the conventional art, the first locking claw and the locking bracket disposed on the vehicle body can easily be unlocked from each other. To remove the clamp from the locking bracket, the locking piece is pulled outward by a finger inserted through the opening in the frame. The first locking claw is located at the upper end of the locking piece while the second locking claw is located at the lower end of the locking piece. Thus the first locking claw can be easily disengaged from the locking hole of the locking bracket by pulling the upper end of the locking piece.
In a preferred embodiment of the clamp of the present invention, the first half part is formed as a first half-annular part and the second half part is formed as a second half annular part. In this embodiment, a convexity which fits on a valley of the corrugated tube is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first half-annular part and that of the second half annular part.